New Trails Series
Book Covers
Project Overview
Jody Norman is the author of the New Trails series, an award-winning portal fantasy with LGBTQ+ protagonists, rich world-building, and a deeply emotional found family at its heart. She came in with a specific problem: the cover of her first published book didn't reflect the story inside it. The original was generic, and she knew it. She had digital illustrations she loved and a clear vision in her head of what the cover should look like. She just needed someone who could make those pieces come together the way she saw them.
Book cover design wasn't something I had offered before Jody reached out. But the project appealed to me, the challenge was interesting, and saying yes to things that excite me even when they're outside my usual scope is kind of how I operate. I'm glad I did.
Project at a Glance
| Client | Jody Norman |
| Industry | Fiction Author, LGBTQ+ Fantasy |
| Services Provided | Book Cover Design (2 covers) |
| Books | New Trails (Book 1), Hidden Trails (Book 2) |
Book Cover - New Trails
The Goal
Replace a generic published cover with something that actually reflected the world Jody had built. The cover needed to capture the mood, the magic, and the specific visual details of the story, not just look like a fantasy book, but look like this fantasy book.
The Challenge
Jody provided digital illustrations she wanted combined into a cohesive cover, and the brief was deeply specific in the best possible way. The desert setting, a trail, the two main characters Troy and Kieran, a three-moon sky, and a dog constellation all needed to come together in a way that felt intentional and immersive rather than assembled. Every element had meaning tied directly to the story, which meant getting any of them wrong wasn't really an option. The dog alone was a project in itself (cleaning up all that fur in a digital illustration is exactly as tedious as it sounds). Making it all fit together convincingly, with the right scale, lighting, and atmosphere, was the puzzle.
The Result
A cover that finally looks like the book it belongs to. Every element Jody envisioned is there, intentional and woven together into something that feels like a window into Abhaile rather than a collection of parts. Her vision was clear and the collaboration was genuinely enjoyable. The result was something neither of us could have produced alone.
New Trails received the following awards:
Winner, Literary Titan Gold Award
3rd Place, LGBTQ+ Fantasy, The BookFest Awards
Finalist, New Mexico-Arizona Book Award
Finalist, Page Turner Award
Finalist, Storytrade Award
Book Cover - Hidden Trails
The Goal
Build on the visual language established in Book 1 while creating something distinct enough to stand on its own. The cover needed to reflect the central theme of the book: Troy and Kieran separated between two worlds, one real, one magical, while still feeling like it belonged to the same series.
The Challenge
The second cover brought a whole new set of story-specific elements to incorporate: a mirror, an attic, a Colorado neighborhood with mountains visible outside, the Green Man, wildflowers, and Kieran and the dog reflected in the mirror. The real challenge was sourcing all of those elements and making them work together cohesively, while also capturing the idea that the mirror wasn't just a mirror. It needed to feel like a portal between worlds, with Troy on one side and Kieran on the other, without that concept getting lost in the composition.
The Result
A cover that honors the series while telling a completely different kind of visual story. The brightness of the day outside the window gives it a different energy from Book 1, and the mirror as a portal between the real world and Abhaile comes through clearly. The story-specific details are all there, and the two worlds feel genuinely distinct while still belonging to the same frame. The collaboration the second time around felt even more natural, which is exactly what you hope for when working with someone again.
Kind Words from The Client
"Working with Kelly on the covers for New Trails and Hidden Trails was an absolute pleasure. My book covers look professional, the colors pop, and the designs are clean. In short, her work was fantastically creative! What stood out most was her openness to try something new. Although she hadn't advertised book cover design before, she embraced the challenge with enthusiasm and skill. She listened carefully to my ideas, translated them into strong visual concepts, and then elevated them with her own creative input, producing results far better than I could have imagined on my own. Kelly combines professionalism with a friendly, approachable manner. She's receptive, collaborative, and willing to experiment, which made the entire process enjoyable and productive. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for design work that's both polished and imaginative."
— Jody Norman, Author of the New Trails Series